The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 30

April 14, 2021 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 3 Biden announces executive action on gun control On April 8, President Joe Biden announced his first executive action on gun control issues. Biden announced six new actions aimed at reducing gun violence in America, specifically on tightening regulations on “ghost guns,” which are homemade firearms that are assembled without serial numbers. The proposed law regarding ghost guns would require each of the parts sold to have a serial number and the buyers of the parts to receive background checks as they would if they were buying an assembled firearm. Former pro-NFL player kills five, injures one during shooting Five people were killed and one person hospitalized with serious injuries after a shooting occured in South Carolina on the evening of April 7. The next morning, it was announced that the shooter was former pro-NFL player Phillip Adams, who had originally played for the San Francisco 49er’s and moved through five other NFL teams before retiring in 2015. Police say that, after the shooting occured, Adams returned to his home, where police later evacuated his parents before finding Adams dead by apparent suicide. While the motive for the shooting is unclear, the victims and the suspected shooter were previously acquainted. According to ESPN, Adams will be examined for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) during the autopsy, which “has been shown to cause violent mood swings and other cognitive disorders.” More information released on investigation of Matt Gaetz In early April, it was announced that Florida U.S. representative Matt Prince Philip dies at 99 On Friday, April 9, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, died in Windsor Castle at 99 years of age. The Palace had stated that Philip underwent a heart operation and spent 28 days in the hospital before returning on March 16. Until his death, Philip was the longest- serving consort in British history. He was also the oldest partner of a reigning monarch. Phillip was a great grandfather of 10 and was married 73 years to Queen Elizabeth. New COVID-19 record in Brazil On Tuesday, April 6, Brazil surpassed a new record of 4,200 deaths in a day due to COVID-19. In total, as of April 11, Brazil has had more than 13.4 million confirmed cases of the virus and over 350,000 fatalities according to The New York Times. According to John Hopkins data, Brazil’s death toll from COVID-19 is only second to the U.S., with a daily death toll of 4,476 recorded on Jan. 12. Many other South American countries are blaming Brazil’s outbreak as their own numbers rise. Several countries have closed borders, imposed lockdowns and suspended flights to Alvin Sherman Library hosts virtual StoryFest StoryFest’s annual family celebration of music and stories will be held via live stream this year, and is scheduled to take place from April 18-24. The theme of this year’s events is “Week of Wonder.” Children and guardians alike will be given the opportunity to read, learn and spend quality family time together through engaging performances viewed from the comfort of their own homes. Events are held everyday of that week at 11 a.m. and last 45 minutes each. Register online. 36th Annual Scholarship Golf Classic Online Silent Auction In an effort to support NSU student- athletes financially and academically, DELL is hosting its annual bidding event through an online platform this year. The site can be accessed at http:// nsuathletics.givesmart.com/ and the auction will remain open for a week from April 12 at 8 a.m. to April 19 at 3:30 p.m. 23rd Annual Student Life Achievement Awards On April 13 at 6 p.m., tune in to the NSU’s Campus Life’s virtual ceremony for the 2021 Student Achievement Awards finalists. The award recipients will be selected in real-time via live stream at https:// www.nova.edu/campuslife/stueys/. A few of the finalists will also be interviewed the hour before the ceremony on Instagram live @ NSUCampusLife. NSU Network Chats On April 23 from noon to 12:45pm, the Network Chats conference will be held to share the current work of researchers and their works’ application for everyday life, along with their career paths. Featuring Bill Adams, associate professor in the department of communication, media and the arts and Aileen Farrar, associate chair of the department of humanities and politics and director for the Center of Humanities from Halmos College of Arts & Sciences, students will be provided the opportunity to learn, network and grow awareness of the expertise at NSU. News News Anchor News Briefs International Tidings Brazil in an effort to control the outbreak. Belgium protests result in injuries and arrests On Thursday, April 1, the Belgian police clashed with a large crowd of protesters using a water cannon. According to Brussels police spokesman Ilse Van de Keere, 22 people were arrested and several police officers were injured. There has been an uproar of protests in Belgium for urgent police reform after a series of high profile deaths occured. Video footage shows buildings on fire and officers causing harm to individuals of minority ethnic backgrounds. No officers have been arrested. Although the Belgian police force has not commented due to ongoing investigations, unions told the BBC that the police were not institutionally racist. However, protestors believe the police to be acting with impunity. Protests in Ireland On Friday, April 9, Protestant and Catholic youths in Belfast, Northern Ireland hurled bricks, fireworks and gasoline bombs at police and each other. The crowds included children as young as 12 and clashed across a concrete wall, separating a British loyalist Protestant neighborhood from an Irish nationalist Catholic neighborhood. Police fired rubber bullets at the crowd while a nearby city bus was hijacked and set on fire. No one has been seriously injured, but since this violence has been ongoing since 1998, more than 3,000 people have died. Gaetz was being federally investigated for sex trafficking. Federal prosecutors are examining whether Gaetz paid underage girls in exchange for sex. While Gaetz continues to refute the claims, data recently obtained from his Venmo account shows at least one $900 payment to accused sex trafficker Joel Greenberg, who then distributed the same amount to three different girls, with at least one being underage. Since the investigation into Gaetz was announced, more than 30 new allegations have come out against Greenberg accusing him of sex trafficking. Colorado vaccination site temporarily closes after adverse reactions A COVID-19 vaccination site in Commerce City, CO closed on April 7 after nearly a dozen patients began experiencing adverse reactions after being vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The 11 people reported feeling immediately nauseous and disoriented only minutes after their shot. Two people were sent to the hospital for further observation while the nine others recovered quickly after being given juice or water and were cleared to leave. State public health officials explained that, while there is no reason for further concern about the vaccine or the vaccinations that occurred that day, they would pause vaccinations at that site on the side of caution. Letter from the editors Madelyn & Christina Co-Editors-in-Chief Hey Sharks, What a year it’s been. As students, we have faced innumerable challenges as we fought to find our new normal, we sacrificed a lot to keep ourselves and our community safe and we achieved our own versions of academic success despite the obstacles. This historic year will stand as a reminder of what we’ve overcome, but not without difficulty. Take a few moments to look back at all you’ve accomplished as we finish this academic year -- you deserve it, along with some much-needed time to shrug off a bit of school-related stress after finals. Speaking of accomplishments, this issue of The Current, Issue 30, marks the last weekly issue of the academic school year, but before we dive into our summer plans, let’s take a quick walk down memory lane with The Current during a year that was truly unforgettable. With years as unarguably eventful as 2020 and 2021, we’ve had the opportunity to cover topics ranging from COVID-19 and NSU’s management keeping students up to date to the 46th Presidential race and the Inauguration of President Joseph R. Biden. Between the breaking news, we advised ways to practice self-care, helped find new favorite artists and detailed our workout routines. Above all, we thank you, Sharks, for allowing us to serve as an outlet for students’ voices to be heard. It is an honor for all the staff at The Current to cover these important stories -- and we couldn’t do it without our dedicated readers. So whether you just visited our website for the first time, occasionally picked up an issue pre- COVID-19 or you’re a dedicated weekly reader, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being a part of our journey. We’re turning the tide, Sharks. We hope we can dive in soon. Madelyn & Christina